Don’t let political donors control the message, environmental future

If you like polar bears, raise your hand. If you are tired of the wealthy getting wealthier at our expense, nod your head. If you believe in voter’s rights, pound your table.

While Putin’s BFF spouts off about Mexico building a wall in the U.S., deporting illegals, refusing Muslims entry, and the GOP hopefuls are pointing fingers at each other, some important things are getting missed. Big corporations are readying their push to fund policies that will ultimately result in harming our environment even further. Friends of the Earth recently reported some unsettling information.

Only 158 families are responsible for almost half the money raised in the 2016 presidential campaign. That means they have a greater say than the vast majority of U.S. citizens when it comes to matters such as the environment. For example, Koch Industries made $9.5 million in political contributions in 2014.

How does this affect us? Koch Industries is a member of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), an entity that pushes pro-carbon measures that in turn result in more dollars in their pockets. Another thing that ALEC is involved in: in 2013 the Huffington Post reported that ALEC was pushing measures in three states to have science teachers teach climate change denial.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, involving thousands of scientists from 195 countries, has determined Global Climate Change is a real phenomenon. So, do we really believe our students will be equipped to compete in the world economy if they are ignorant of scientific fact?

And speaking of our children, not only do they face reduced protections for our environment and corporate interference in their education, restricted voting rights are becoming more prevalent. Friends of the Earth reports that conservative forces continue to make changes to squash environmental voices via the ballot.

The very people who are more likely to support progressive and environmental policies - young and minority voters - are the target of voter rights restrictions passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures. South Carolina is one of 23 states with new voting restrictions passed since the 2010 election.

Terrorism is taking the spotlight in the media arena. Obviously, this is a very important issue. I would hope that other matters are also considered during this campaign. Democracy demands that everyone has a say in what affects our lives and the world we live in, not just the top 1 percent. In the upcoming elections, I hope that we can cut through the bull and the hyperbole and get to the meat of the matter.

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 9:12 PM with the headline "Don’t let political donors control the message, environmental future."